Before The Future
by maketheangelsigh
Summary: He met her at the corner music store. Over the year, she became one of his closest friends.  FULL SUMMARY INSIDE
1. Chapter 1

**Full Summary: **He met her at the corner music store. Over the year, she became one of his closest friends. When his group of friends and him are chosen to go to LA to become a boy band, he has to choose staying behind with her or going to LA to go after his career.

**Note(s):** The majority of the first part of the story will start before the TV show did. I won't do a play by play of episodes since I hate that. Remember, criticism always helps a writer.

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**Before The Future: Chapter One.**

It was the perfect winter day in Minnesota. Icicles were hanging off the roofs of houses and the snow buried the grass beneath. It crunched like breakfast cereal every time someone walked over it. It was a great day to sit inside with a warm cup of hot chocolate nestled in between two cold hands. The sky was darkened since it was nearly 5:00 in the evening. It was weird how much later it seemed in the winter. Snow drifts piled up on the front yards of certain homes. Mothers were calling in children and fathers were putting away the snow shovels.

The cold air nipped at his cheeks, which were rosy red now. His hands were stuffed into the tight pockets of his coat, which was zipped up as much as it could. He had tucked his chin in the top of his coat and his head was covered by a stocking hat. It wasn't exactly weather for anyone to walk about but he didn't mind. His footsteps were heavy against the icy sidewalk, he had to watch his step in case he fell. He smiled warmly at the people he came across before he let out a sigh of relief when he finally approached his destination.

_Stein's Music! _was carved into the sign that was above the door. It was one of his favorite places. Taking out his gloved hand, he pushed open the door. He greeted the man that stood behind the counter as if they were old time friends. _Stein's Music! _wasn't a big music store. The CDs were nearly crammed together on the shelves and few instruments for sell sat in the back corner. The floor was scuffed from many feet having shuffled across it. The soft voice of some country singer drifted around the atmosphere and grabbed at customers' ears. His eyes drifted across the many shelves, a smile bringing to his face. One day, his CD would be sitting on one of those shelves. He was that confident.

It was warmer in the store then it was outside. He took both of hands out of his pockets, slipping the hat off of his head. He smoothed down his hair before looking around. Nothing had changed about the old place, not since his mother had started taken him here when he had been nearly 10.

Giving a small sigh, taking in the hot air of the store, he proceeded to walk down one of the small aisles. He wasn't looking for anything in particular, just to admire the CD cases and the music that changed every once in a while over the speakers. He was in peace here. He usually visited it when his house got too loud or one of his friends was too busy to let him hang with them. He didn't glance up when the bell over the door chimed. _Stein's Music!_ wasn't a store that gained a lot of customers but it gained plenty enough that it hadn't been closed down. He would surely hope that the day it did close down, he wouldn't be alive. He would not like to see that.

Putting his hat in his pocket, he grabbed one of the many CDs that were lined up. He flipped it over, his gaze scanned the back at the many songs. He didn't even notice any of his surroundings changing until he heard a voice.

"Do you need help?" He blinked, turning his head. He frowned softly, letting his gaze fall about a foot below his first look. She was standing next to him, looking at him expectedly. She was wearing a blue t-shirt that had _Stein's Music! _written across it in big white letters. He had to bow his head almost entirely to look at her, she was short.

"Uh, no, just looking." He replied, hastily putting the CD back as if he were embarrassed for examining it. Apparently, his embarrassment was found funny by her since she laughed slightly. It was a nice laugh, though he had met many girls that had nice laughs.

She leaned away from him and peered at the CD that he had just had. She nodded her head, almost in an amused but approving tone, "Fall Out Boy. Good band." He cleared his throat, glancing at the rest of the CDs before turning to look at her again.

"I was just picking up the CD," he mumbled under his breath. He really was never tongue tied around girls, or shy in fact. Maybe it was the cold.

She smiled at him, shrugging her shoulders as she clasped her hands behind her back. He noticed that her hair was a very bright red, in the fluorescent light anyway. He didn't know if it would look different in the sun though, "I'm not judging you. I like Fall Out Boy, too."

He wasn't actually a fan but he merely plastered on his pearly white smile and nodded his head in agreement to what she was saying, "Great." In all the time that he had visited the small music store, he had never seen her around. He pressed his lips together before asking, "Did you just start working here?"

She sucked in her breath as if it were a big secret and glanced around them. She focused her attention back on him before laughing nervously, "Is it that obvious?" she wondered, looking down at her blue shirt.

He laughed gently, shaking his head, "Nah. I just come here well enough to know." She looked up at him, her face written in puzzlement.

"Oh! Are you the guy that walks in around 7 or what and sits in the corner just staring at the wall?" she asked, leaning her head to the side so her cherry red hair cascaded down her shoulders. He looked alarmed then confused.

"No! No! I, uh, no, that's not me," he said, trying to confirm his story. She laughed, covering her mouth.

"Dude, I was joking. But that's good to know. You don't look creepy enough to be him," she said, nodding her head vigorously to show her point.

He couldn't help but smile at that, "You shouldn't really judge people on how they look," he commented, arching his eyebrow. That seemed to put her in think mode before she agreed with him. He held out his hand, which had warmed up from the air in the store, "I'm James," he introduced.

She took the hand that had been hooked on her pocket and put it in his. It was much smaller, "I'm Sam," she said in a bright tone.

James shook her hand slightly before taking his own back and placing it in his pocket, "So, Sam, do you live around here? Because I don't think I have seen you around before," he soon realized that she was a new face and the town that they lived in wasn't exactly big enough to not notice anyone.

Sam nodded her head once more to respond to his question, "Yeah, not far though. I just moved here with my family. Mom wanted another start," she said, her voice had only changed slightly to a more mellow tone. She leaned to her side, looking past him. She smiled, gesturing with her head toward the window, "Look, it's snowing," she said, interested in the weather.

"Doesn't it snow from where you are from?" he asked, turning the upper part of his body to see what she was talking about. Small snowflakes drifted from the sky and planted themselves on the grass. Just what the town needed, more snow.

"Nope, I moved from Florida. It doesn't snow a lot," James nodded as if he understood and turned back to her.

"Well, welcome to Minnesota," he said, grinning widely at her. She laughed once more, bowing her head a little bit.

"Well, thank you. I feel welcome, already." She smiled back at him, almost matching the vivid smile stretched across James's face.

"Well, you made your first friend, I think." He said, sounding slightly puzzled at the last part. She snickered before nodding her head. She seemed to like whatever he said. Normally, he would have been flirting non-stop but he didn't feel like doing that with her.

She brushed her bangs out of her way before speaking, "You are. Not many people have approached me since we moved here, or even our family. I'm almost afraid to start school."

James chuckled, mirroring her action by pushing his fringe out of his face, "I think it might be your hair," she looked bewildered for a moment before glancing at a piece of it, "Not many people in Minnesota have that color of red." He then shot out a question for her, "School? Are you going to the local school?" His face almost fell when she shook her head.

"No, Mom wants to make me go to the school in the next town over. I don't know why," Sam rolled her eyes, letting go of the piece of hair that she had been curling around her finger and releasing.

"Oh, that's too bad," he said, frowning once more. He glanced up when he heard the voice of the manager of the store.

"Sam, I don't pay you to dilly-dally around with the customers." Sam cleared her throat before offering the manager a tight smile. He nodded at James, "Hello, James."

"Hello, Mr. Stein," James greeted before looking at the red-head, "I think you have to go," he muttered before laughing at the look on her face.

She clicked her tongue, backing out of the aisle, "I'm gonna go before I lose my job," she then smiled at the taller boy, "See you soon, James." He waved at her as she disappeared into the back of the store.

He exhaled before muttering to himself, "Hopefully."

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Hopefully, this came out better than I thought.

Read and review?


	2. Chapter 2

**Full Summary: **He met her at the corner music store. Over the year, she became one of his closest friends. When his group of friends and him are chosen to go to LA to become a boy band, he has to choose staying behind with her or going to LA to go after his career.

**Note: **I'm only putting this chapter up to see if people will like this, to give in to further detail. Please, review. Criticism is amazing for writers and I strive for it. So, if you have any suggestions, don't be afraid to talk to me.

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**Before The Future: Chapter Two.**

"Thank you, Mrs. Knight," James eagerly brought the cup of hot chocolate up toward his mouth. It warmed the inside of him; he wiggled slightly to make sure the liquid got as much of him as it could. Mrs. Knight smiled at the younger boy, shifting off into the kitchen then. His hands were clasped tight over the cup, snuggling down deeper in the chair he was on. All four boys were sitting in Kendall's living room, unable to go out into the harsh winter weather that Minnesota offered. James didn't join into the shouts of victory whenever the right hockey team on the TV scored.

"What's the matter, James?" he heard Kendall asked to his far right. He turned his head, just as Kendall jumped up in excitement and high-fived Carlos that was next to him. Kendall turned his head toward James as did the other three boys. Logan was lying on the floor, his head propped up on his hand.

James flashed them his smile and shook his head, "No reason. Just cold, conserving energy." There wasn't really a reason for his quietness; he just didn't really want to participate. He took another drink of his chocolate, savoring the warmth. He leaned forward, focusing on the TV just as the other three boys were. They all groaned at the sight on it; the team had missed the goalie box.

"Maybe we'll bounce back," Logan muttered from his post, which James rolled his eyes at. Logan was usually positive in the most unreal situations. It was a good quality about him, sometimes. James quickly forgot about the game right as his phone rang. He set down his cup of hot chocolate, pulling the cell phone out of his pocket.

"Hello, Mom," said James as soon as the phone came in contact with his ear, "Yes, Mom. I'm at Kendall's," he sighed, catching the attention of his best friends, "Yes, I'm coming. I'll be fine. Goodbye." He flipped the phone shut, glancing up to meet three pairs of eyes. He jiggled the phone in the air before speaking, "Mom wants me to head home, gotta grab a few things from the market." He unfolded himself out of the chair before nodding at his friends, "See ya."

"See ya tomorrow, dude!" he heard Kendall yell from the living room as he crossed through the dining room, hearing a goodbye from Mrs. Knight and finally made it back to the main hallway. Grabbing his jacket, James slipped it on and walked out into their town.

It had snowed overnight. Now, there was no grass sticking out of the ground and the treetops were bare. Their branches stuck out like skeletons; the snow didn't help the image. The sunshine overhead was trying to break through the clouds but it wasn't doing a very good job. It was a Sunday morning and most of the neighborhood was in church. James scurried across the white streets and down the sidewalks. He was walking at a pace that would still give him some warmth from the wind that bit at his cheeks once more but still it wasn't fast enough for him to slide on any ice that was covered by the snow.

The market wasn't busy, in fact there was hardly anyone at all. James liked it when it was like this, no one was pushing to get to the produce and there was no yelling. He smiled at an older woman that passed him before allowing himself to travel toward the dairy aisle. Pressing his lips together, his eyes scanned each of the milk cartons that sat there as he tried to find the right one.

"Aha!" he said, grabbing the correct one before hurrying away from the cold freezer. He shivered, holding the milk under his arm. Why was everything so cold? Sometimes, he couldn't wait until he was old enough to move to a place like California where he wouldn't have to wait out the long winters for the short summers. It would be hot all around. The thought brought a grin to his tanned face before he shook himself out of his thoughts and headed for the cash registers.

He yawned, putting a hand to his mouth as he waited for the old man in front of him to get done. He looked around him, his fingers tapping against the bottom of the carton. He glanced back in time to see the man walk away. He sighed, setting the milk down and pulling out his wallet from his back pocket. Looking up to see the amount, he actually caught the sight of the girl checking out his item.

She looked familiar, in her features. He couldn't place her. Why did the dark red hair make him think of someone? He glanced at her nametag; it said _Carmen._

"$2.64." He blinked slowly when he realized he was staring and hurriedly pulled out a five, handing it to her. She looked bored as she got him his change. It was bugging him, so he asked.

"Have we met?" he asked, slowly as if he were afraid of the answer. He was just unsure of the answer, really. She looked up as she placed the change in his hand and shook her head.

"Nope, I just moved here." He nodded his head equally as slowly as he had said the question and grabbed the carton of milk. He offered her a small smile but turned away confused, walking toward the exit. The cold air greeted him in a gust as soon as he walked out into the chilly atmosphere. Rubbing his nose with one hand, he started his walk from the market and toward home.

He passed many houses, most had set out their Christmas stuff. He didn't celebrate Christmas since his family was Jewish but it was nice to see some of the ornaments and decorations that marked up and down the street. It was assortments of large snowmen and moving reindeer. He saw kids playing in the snow as he passed the homes. He heard their laughter and it always brought a smile to his face. Though, his pace slowed slightly as he approached a certain store.

_Stein's Music!_ was what he read. He looked around him, remembering the night before. He looked back at the doors, something on the window was advertising a holiday special but he didn't pay attention. He watched the red-head pasting up the posters from inside. She saw him since she grinned and waved. He decided that his mother would wait a few minutes for her milk.

He entered the shop, the bell chiming overhead as he did so. It was warm, which heated up his body. The shop hadn't changed again, minus the garland that lined the ceiling somewhat. He glanced to his right just in time to see her place the rest of the posters on the window. He put the milk on the shelving unit next to the door and reminded himself not to forget it. He walked up to her, smiling.

"Hey Sam," he greeted, turning his attention from the petite girl and toward posters she was putting up. It was just the advertisements for the place. She turned toward him, having to crane her neck a little because of the height difference. He was almost tempted to ask her how tall she was.

She smiled. When she smiled, everything did. Her mouth and her eyes, which he noticed to be green. Her hair seemed brighter, like she had been in the sun an awful lot that day, "Hey James," she said, grabbing the tape from the window sill and sauntered up toward the counter. James followed her, "How is everything?" questioned Sam as she turned toward him.

James stuffed his hands in the pocket of his jacket before answering, "Just fine," he said with a tiny shrug. She arched her eyebrow.

"Just fine?"

"Just fine."

She smiled, laughing slightly as she nodded her head, "Alright, just fine." The way she spoke to him was like they had been friends forever, not like they had just met the night before. She moved away from the counter which, again, resulted in James following her. She swiped up a box of new CDs and traveled down the aisles, "So you know how I said I wasn't going to the local school?"

James stopped when she did, nodding his head in response to her question. He watched her place the CDs in their according spots, "Yeah?" he said, not even paying attention to what she was saying.

"Well, I am. Mom decided that it was too much of a hassle to drive both of us to the next town for school," she said, absentmindedly as she stacked up the CDs. She grabbed the box and stopped when he asked:

"Wait, both of who?"

Sam looked up at him, looking puzzled for a second before squeezing herself passed him and walked down the aisle again, stopping at another place. She answered his question then when she started to put away more CDs, "My sister, Carmen, and I."

James scrunched up the bridge of his nose at the new information. Where had he heard the name? It sounded familiar. He then turned his attention toward her, "Does she work at the market?" Sam looked up from what she was doing, her hand mid-pause in placing a _Blink 182 _CD where it belonged.

She nodded, "Yeah, she just started yesterday." She squinted her eyes, "Is that where you were headed from?"

James laughed slightly, nodding his head, "Yeah. I saw her. She looks a lot like you," She resumed her job as she put the remaining CDs up. She grabbed the empty box and moved toward the counter again. James followed.

'Yeah, I hear that a lot. She's older though, just by a year. Plus, her hair is natural. I just brightened mine," she said, giving him a dimpled smile. He didn't notice her dimple before. It was amazing what he was noticing about her just in the second encounter.

He raised his eyebrow before following her movements with his eyes as she went behind the counter. "Why?"

She disappeared behind the counter, shuffling through the stuff that lined the cavity underneath, "I don't know. I was tired being compared to Carmen because we look so much alike. Plus," she popped up almost unexpectedly, nearly scaring James. She found that funny since she snickered but continued on, "I enjoy looking like a ketchup bottle."

"You look more like a cherry kool-aid," James said, gesturing to her hair. She pinched a piece in between her fingers, examining. She shook her head.

"Either way, it's red," she said, smiling as she stepped behind the counter. "Are you staying long? Because, you're distracting me." James grinned at that.

"With my devilish good looks?" he joked but frowned at her own joke.

"No, with the fact that you look like a burnt marshmallow," she was close to him as she poked his poofy brown coat. She grinned like the Cheshire Cat again before laughing at the look on his face, "I'm kidding. I just get distracted easily, don't worry." She said, moving passed him to grab another box full of CDs. He was surprised to see how well she carried the large boxes, they looked too heavy for her small frame. He glanced up at the clock though before realizing how long he had been there.

"Oh, I have to go home. My mom is waiting for me," he said, walking toward the door. He turned to say goodbye to her, "See ya, Sam!"

She smiled, stretching to see over the CD stands, "See ya, James!" He opened the door before stopping when he heard, "James?"

He twisted his upper body, looking back at her, "What?"

She pointed to the stand next to him with a grin on her face, 'You left your milk." He cleared his throat in slight embarrassment, grabbing it and heading out the door.

He was starting to like Sam.

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